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I'm looking for an astronomy book that's picture first, and covers a variety of topics but leads into the relevant math. Enough of a start for a kid that really studies could do a few easy examples for themselves.

If you've read anything of the like, please share.

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    $\begingroup$ Astronomy is a vast topic... and you can tackle anything at various levels of math, depending on how deep you want to go. Making pictures of the sky and how to improve and progress there? How stars form? How stars work? How planets move? How to measure stellar distances? ... what is astronomy to you? What is your level of enthusiasm, what is your math background? $\endgroup$
    – planetmaker
    Commented Nov 25, 2023 at 22:54
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    $\begingroup$ What kind of maths are you talking about. A lot of the maths of astronomy is based on trigonometry and calculus. That is beyond most "kids", unless by "kid" you really mean "teenager" $\endgroup$
    – James K
    Commented Nov 25, 2023 at 22:55
  • $\begingroup$ The kid is a preteen, but he will grow. It's been a major interest for years now, and as long as there is a focus on the cool side of astronomy, it's fine if he comes back to the math later. Plus kids surprise you sometimes. $\endgroup$
    – DWM
    Commented Nov 26, 2023 at 2:47
  • $\begingroup$ You know him better than any of us. There are lots of book websites that let you see a preview: amazon.co.uk/Astrophysics-Young-People-Hurry-Degrasse/dp/… amazon.co.uk/Mysteries-Universe-Discover-best-kept-secrets/dp/… amazon.co.uk/Book-Astronomy-Space-Lisa-Miles/dp/1474903673 But these aren't going to get you into maths, because, like I said, that really needs calculus, or at least some serious algebra. $\endgroup$
    – James K
    Commented Nov 26, 2023 at 11:58
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    $\begingroup$ @dtn He excels as a communicator and educator. His research work was (according to wiki) on type 1a supernovae. Nothing Nobel-prize-winning! But this is not the point. You don't need Jim Peebles to write a book for pre-teens. $\endgroup$
    – James K
    Commented Apr 8 at 7:33

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David A. Aguilar seems like a really good author to read.

Basically, nearly all of his books do not use pain-in-the-a** algebra or neuron-damaging equations, easy to digest for a teenager or perhaps even a children.

Most of his books tend to be within 8 to 25 USD, so I guess, you can afford them and read them.

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  • $\begingroup$ What could be read from more serious literature, for example, about mathematical models of pulsars, computer examples and computational experiments? $\endgroup$
    – ayr
    Commented Apr 8 at 6:42
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Try Astronomy today, by Eric Chaisson and Steve McMillan. It is very comprehensive, easy for people with little background in mathematics or astrophysics to understand, and has plenty of visuals to complement it. The newest edition is very expensive, but used copies of the 8th edition tend to be cheaper (I got mine for 15 dollars) and the information is still up-to-date. Here's a link to buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/Astronomy-Today-8th-Eric-Chaisson/dp/0321901673

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  • $\begingroup$ Answering your concern about the math, this book presents relatively basic mathematical laws, probably enough for a preteen or teenage to understand. $\endgroup$
    – Astrovis
    Commented Mar 7 at 5:14

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